Vibratory slicing apparatus



July 17, 1962 G. D. SCHNEIDER ETAL 3,044,510 l VIBRATORY SLICINGAPPARATUS Filed April 9 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 17, 1962 G. D.scHNExDER ETAL VIBRATORY SLICING APPARATUS Filed April 9, 1959 4Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYS.

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GILBERT D. SCHNEIDER LYNN A. CHNEiDER BYL {fila-6 i. g /C/P wamVAK/@M412 ATTORNEYS.

States This invention relates to a slicing machine, particularly aslicing machine adapted to handle lumber.

Machines for slicing lumber and similar materials are known, but suchmachines frequently do not operate to good advantage on diiiicult stock,particularly if the stock is highly variable in nature. Thus a machineset up for slicing hard wood may tend to operate erratically on softwood, especially if the Wood is characterized by numerous knots. Also,some types of lumber, of which certain more or less resinous woods areexamples, tend to seize the knife or knives in a slicing machine, givingrise thereby to conspicuous irregularities in the product.

Assuming that sufcient power is supplied to force the Work through themachine, seizure of the knife or knives does no particular harm in thesense of damaging the machine itself. It does, however, reveal itself inthe surface condition of the lumber after slicing. Where, for example,there is seizure of the knife or knives, the sliced surface usuallyshows periodic rough areas where there has been a slowing of the slicingoperation as a result of knife seizure. In circumstances in which asmooth nish is desired, the presence of such irregularities ,tends toimpair the value of the product to such an extent as to make itnecessary to nish the product by planing, which results in needlessWaste.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these troubles and,in doing so, to provide a product which so far -as possible, having inmind the nature f the product itself, is `free of such surface blemishesas are occasioned `by knife seizure. To this end, the invention providesways and means for producing vibrations in the work, the knives, theshafting, the supporting structure or all of them as the work is sliced.This, it has been found, is likely to result in elimination of thetendency to seizure, so long as the vibrations so introduced are ofsmall amplitude and high frequency.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus capable ofbeing used to advantage not only for the slicing of lumber into lesserpieces such as laths butalso for the slicing of quite differentmaterials, both natural and synthetic. Examples are synthetic resins;various rubber, rubbery 4and rubber-like stocks; substances of a waxynature; and, in gener-al, materials that do not lend themselves readilyto slicing with equipment of kinds heretofore known. An excellentexample of such a material is foamed plastic, particularly as found inthe relatively new plastic foams of the rigid type, which heretoforehave generally had to be sliced by hot wire techniques. Rigid foams, inmany cases non-rigid foams as well, can often be sliced to goodadvantage by means of the vibratory slicing apparatus provided by thepresent invention.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention Will lbeapparent from the description which follows and from the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a slicing machine incorporting features ofthe present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an elevation with parts in section, seen i as if from line2-2 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation from line 3:*3 of FIG- URE 2 of the rollstand appearing in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a section through one of the vibrators, the piston beingshown in elevation.

FIGURES 5 and 6 are views similar to FIGURES 2 and 3 showing a modiedform of slicing machine.

3,044,5li Patented July 17, 1962 FIGURE 7 is an end elevation from line747 of FIG- URE 8 of a slicing machine of the type in which astationar'y knife operates on a log, flitch or the like.

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of the slicing machine of FIGURE 7 as seenfrom line 8--8 of FIGURE 7.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 to 3, the slicing machine generallydesignated 11's of the type shown, described and claimed in U.S. Patent2,717,012 to Gilbert D. Schneider and in a prior application of GilbertD. Schneider et al. led September 14, 1956 as Serial No. 609,837, nowU.S. Patent 2,919,731. As in the case of the slicing machines shown insaid prior patent and application, the machine shown in FIGURES 1 to 3may operate on Work W of the nature of a wood block (FIGURE 2). Work Wis propelled through the machine in the direction indicated by thearrows in FIGURE l, as by positively driving the lower roll in each ofthe two roll stands. If desired, it

. may be pushed through the machine by a ram. In some circumstances, `acombination of the two methods may be used.

It will be noted from FIGURES 1 and 2 that the slicing machine as awhole is supported on a base 2. At one end ofthe machine, seen as inFIGURE 1, is a feed table 3; at its opposite end, a run-off table 4.While it is being fed into the throat of the first of the two rollstands, the work is supported by the feed table. As they emerge from thethroat of the second of the two roll stands, the severed pieces aresupported for a short distance by the run-off table. Within base 2 is adrive motor (not shown) for positively driving the two lower rolls.Associated with first roll stand 5 and second roll stand 6 and locatedwithin the portion 5a of the former and portion 6a ofthe Ylatter are thegear trains used for transmitting to the lower of the two rolls thepower required to operate it. Power is supplied through chains such asthat at 5b and sprockets such as that at 5c.

As further appears from FIGURES 1 and 2, roll stand 5 incorporates twoside pieces 7 and 8. Each carries a iixedly positioned bearing block 9receiving the proximate end of a positively driven shaft assembly(shafting) extending between the two side pieces. Rigidly mounted onshafting 10 are two rotary guide collars 11 arranged as shown in 4FIGURE2. These form the side walls of the previously'mentioned throat in whichthe work is received. Projecting from the shafting into the throat areone or more circular knives 12 constructed and arranged in the mannerdisclosed in the previouslyV mentioned patent and application. Opposingthe knife or knives 12, but out of contact with them, are one or morecircular knives 13 similarly arranged on similar shafting v14. Outwardlyof side piece 8 are nuts 10a `and 14a for the outer ends of shafting 10and 14, respectively.

Slidably supported in suitable openings 16 in side pieces 7 and 8 aretwo movable bearing blocks 15. The oppositely facing side walls ofopenings 16 are formed after the fashion of ways for the purpose ofguiding the bearing blocks. Below them, likewise in openings 16, are twocoil springs 17 which serveto bias bearing blocks 15 and shafting 14toward positions near the upper ends `of openings 16. Adjusting means(not shown) may lbe provided, if desired, in openings 16 in the spacesbetween bearing blocks 15 and the tops of side pieces 7 and 8. Inconsequence of this arrangement, bearing blocks .15, knives 13 andshafting 14 alike are freetovibrate in a vertical direction.

Disposed directly above shafting 14 is a wide yoke 18 the dependingbranches of which are provided with an- Y posed series of cleanly formedkerfs.

vstand 5, is similar shafting 21. It Vis provided with rotary guidecollars 22 similar to collars 11. It is further `provided with one ormore circular knives 23 of somewhat greater diameter than knives 12 inroll stand 5. Opposing knives 23 and substantially in contact with themare one or more circular knives 24. The latter are of somewhat gre-aterdiameter than knives 13. Knives 24 are carried by shafting 2S. Themanner in 'which these parts are supported in roll stand 6 is similar tothat described in the case of roll stand 5.

Surrounding the ends of shafting 25 are annular ears similar to annularears 19. As in the case of the latter, they depend from the downwardlyextending branches of an overlying yoke. v-Rigidly mounted on yoke 26are two pneumatic vibrators 27 that are similar in ail respects -topneumatic vibrators 20. They are supplied with compressed air from thesame source. Although the simplicity of vibrators of the pneumatic typeis advantageous, vibrators 20 and 27 need not necessarily bepnemnatically operated if vibrators of other types are preferred.

FIGURE 4 shows a vertical central cross section through one of thevibrators 20 forming part of roll stand 5. It will be noted that thevibrator consists of a body Ior main portion 20a and a top portion 20b.Within body 20a is a chamber 30. In it is a freely floating piston 31provided between its two ends with two circular grooves 32. Piston 31 isillustrated in FIGURE 4 in its -lowermost position, in which uppergroove 32 is in cornmunication with air inlet means 33 and in whichlower groove 32 is out of communication therewith. In suchcircumstances, air from inlet means 33 obtains access to a rstlongitudinally extending bore 34 through the upper of two transversebores 35 and 36. It escapes through .the lower of the two transversebores and, after forcingV opposite end of chamber 30, air admittedthrough inlet Y means 33 can enter bore 3S through the lower of the twocircular grooves 32 and `transverse bore 40. Issuing from transversebore 39, it forces piston 31 downward and makes its escape through upperport 41.

'Ihis action results in-rapid vibration of vibrator 20, yoke 18 andshafting 14, all as previously described. The eiectvof vibrating theseparts is Vto move knives 13 a few thousandths of an inch in the verticaldirection, thus preventing those portions of work W which are engaged byknives 13 from seizing upper knives 13. At the same time,l since work Wis able to move vertically to a limited extent, it is free to move outof seizing engagement with lower knives 12. The net elect is to providetwo op- These are sutbsequent-ly deepened in roll stand 6to the pointwhere work W is sliced completely through.

Referring now to FIGURES 5 and 6, it will be noted that roll stand 56,the first ofY two or more roll stands in one machine, incorporates Vtwofree-standing side pieces 51and 52. Extending between them is sh-afting,upper and lower, similar to that already described. Upper shafting 53,which is capped at its outer end by an end nut 53a, includes a flexiblecoupling 54 of conventional construction. |Ihe latter intervenes betweenportion a of the roll stand, wherein is Vhoused the gear train, and thenearer of two similar bearing blocks 55. The two bearing blocks areslidably mounted in upper openings 56 in side pieces 51 and 52. Beloweach of them is a 4 pair of coil springs 57. Overlying each of them is anarrow yoke 58 (best seen in FIGURE 5) which carries a pneumaticvibrator 59 provided with an air inlet 60.

Lower shafting 61, the outer end of which is capped by a nut 61a, isprovided with a flexible coupling 62 similar to coupling 54. -Iit issimilarly located in the roll stand` Associated with lower sha-fting 61are two like bearing blocks 63. The latter are slidab'ly mounted inlower openings 64 in the side pieces with which they are associated. Inopenings 64, below bearing blocks 63, are coil springs 65 similar tocoil springs 57. Coupled to bearing blocks 63 and surrounding lowershaiting 61 in the manner shown in FIGURE 5 are two depending yokes 66,one for each bearing block. These yokes ex- -tend transversely of theroll stand in the manner shown in FIGURE 6. Each carries two pneumaticvibrators 67 provided with air inlets 63.

By this arrangement, each roll in each roll stand may -be positivelydriven by suitable gearing within the enclosed portions of the housingsforming part of the roll stand: see, for example, portion 50a of rollstand 50. Power is supplied to the gear trains bymeans of chains Sb andsprockets 56C. inasmuch as each roll has a plurality of vibratorsassociated with it; viz., vibrators 59 in the case of the upper roll andvvibrators 67 in the case of the lower roll, each roll vibratesindependently of the other. The result is bilateral vibratory action.

FIGURES 7 and 8 have to do with a roll stand for slicing veneers, plies,etc. from logs, flitches and the like. Generally designated Si), thisroll stand includes ttwo massive side pieces 81 each of which houses apower train (not shown) driven from a chain S2 and a sprocket 83. Theshafting consists largely of two stub shafts 84 lbetween which ismounted the work W, which takes thev form of a log, Hitch or similarobject. An elongated stationary knife 85 is held rigidly Iin place injuxtaposition to work W. It is mounted by a sturdy metal strip 86 andhold down bolts 87 on an elongated mounting bracket 88 supported from across piece 89 that extends between the two side pieces 81: see FIGURE8. Webs 90 of triangular shape keep crossV piece 89, bracket 88 andknife '85 in position.

Cross piece 89 and webs 90 are welded to a oating table 91 the lowerface of which is provided as shown in FIGURE 7 with two T-shaped slots91a that extend lengthwise of the roll stand. Immediately beneathlloating table 91 is a transversely movable bed plate 92 operated frombeneath, as by a screw. Bed plate 92 is equipped onfits upper face withT-shaped guides 92a that tit into slots 91a in floating table 91.

Movable bed plate 92 is provided on its lower face with T-shaped slots94 that accommodate T-shaped guides 95a on a platform 95 within which ishoused the screws by which bed plate 92 isA moved. Mounted on the twoends of bed plate 92 immediately above platform 95 are brackets 96,formed as shown in FIGURE 8. Coil springs 97 that bear against the endsof oating table 91 seat against brackets 9,6. f

Heavy duty pneumatic vibrators 98 are rigidly mounted on the two endwebs. Associated with them are air inlet means 99 connected to a commonsource of cornpressed air. Vibrators 98 cause webs 9%, cross piece 89and iloating tafble 91 to vibrate horizontally. The movement is of theorderof a few thousandths of an inch; the frequency, of the order ofseveral thousand cycles per minute. By forming the machine as shown inFIGURES y 7 and 8, seizure of stationary knife 85 )by work W is avoided,giving a cleaner, smoother and generally better product. Y

In all of the various forms of the, invention, one characteristic thatstems from use of vibrators is the rela tively smooth surface of thework after slicing, at least where it comes into contact with the knifeor knives. In operation the machines are trouble-free in the sense that4|the work does not seize the knives, as tends -to happen with slicingmachines of the Itypes familiar to the prior art. Not only are powerinput requirements lessened, but the work travels through the machinesmoothly and at a uniform rate. In most cases, no further surfaceiinishing of the product is required.

Mention has already been made of the fact that in a typical case theamplitude of the vibrations may advantageously be of the order of a fewthousandths of an inch; however, if the frictional load on the knives issmall, it may in some circumstances be as much as several hundredthousandths (e.g., 0.250 inch). Similarly, the frequency, although in atypical case of the order of 60 cycles a second, may go as high as20,000 to 30,000 cycles a second, which is of course in the ultrasonicrange, In any given installation, a limited amount of experimentationand adaptation may be required in order to establish optimum values, asregards amplitude and frequency, on any given type of work. Y

From what has ralready been stated, it is apparent that changes withinthe skill of the art may be made without departing from the inventiveconcept. A minimum of one knife may be present in cases such as that ofthe embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. The maximumnumber may exceed the number indicated in the embodiment of theinvention shown in FIGURES l to 3. If there is more than one station,the stations may number two, three, four or even more, depending on thenature of the work and the requirements for the product. The shape ofthe knife or knives may be varied las desired, taking into account thenature of the work itself. Sundry other changes can be expected tosuggest themselves, including changes in the manner of driving the rollsand/or the work.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by summarization in theappended claims, all features of the patentable novelty residing in theinvention.

What is claimed is:

l. A slicing machine comprising supporting structure; opposed sidepieces on the supporting structure; rotatable shafting extending betweenthe side pieces transversely of the longitudinal axis of the machine as-a whole; circular knives carried by the shafting in the space betweenthe side pieces; means for rotating the shafting and the knives carriedby the shafting; and means Afor vibrating the shafting while theshafting is rotating.

2. A slicing machine according to claim 1 in which the v yoke on whichthe vibrating means are mounted extendsV between the side pieces.

5, A slicing machine according to claim 3 in which the yoke on which thevibrating means are mounted overlies one of the side pieces.

6. A slicing machine according to claim 5 in which there are two sidepieces, two overlying yokes, and vibrating means mounted on each of thetwo yokes,

7. A slicing machine according to claim 6 in which there are two seriesof circular knives on the shaf-ting, one above the other.

8. A slicing machine comprising supporting structure; a irst group ofcircular knives; a second group of circular knives; rotatable shaftingmounting the two groups of knives in juxtaposition to each other, saidshafting being carried by the supporting structure; means for rotatingthe shafting and `the knives; and vibrating means carried by `and actingon the shafting while the shafting is rotating.

9. A slicing machine according to claim 8 in which the vibrating meansoverlie one of the two groups of knives.

10. A slicing machine according to claim 8 in which the kvibrating meansoverlie both groups of knives.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS198,404 McEachren Dec. 18, 1877 1,292,494 Lorenz Ian. 28, 1919 1,746,662Legge Feb. 11, 1930 1,975,044 Kelly, Sept. 25, 1934 2,217,812 PetskeyesOct. 15, 1940 2,603,289 Horton July 15, 1952 2,717,012 Schneider Sept.6, 1955 2,800,938 McLauchlan July 30, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 714,860 GreatBritain 1.1. sept. 1, 1954

